The Telegraph Frontpage for Thursday 2022 December 08

By Danny Boyle Good morning. Ministers face a backlash at plans to rely on soldiers to sacrifice Christmas to cover for striking public sector workers. Also today, Harry and Meghan’s Netflix show is being released.

Army fury as soldiers ordered to give up Christmas

This month’s strikes will undoubtedly impact the public, but the walkouts are also set to have a knock-on effect on Britain’s troops. Senior military figures have told ministers that soldiers should not be made to miss Christmas to cover striking NHS workers who earn more than them. The Government plans to rely on hundreds of Army personnel to stand in for Border Force officers at airports during eight days of strikes this month – and potentially to cover for ambulance drivers and firefighters, as well. But The Telegraph has been told that the military believes it is “not right” for soldiers, who are banned by law from striking, to have to replace public sector workers walking out over the festive season. Defence editor Danielle Sheridan reports that senior members of the Armed Forces are understood to have warned ministers that the plan risks weakening the military’s “operational capability”. Border Force staff announced eight days of strikes at Britain’s largest airports from December 23 – leaving Christmas travellers facing holiday flight delays on top of a series of walkouts that will hit the rail network. See all this month’s planned strike action at a glance, from the Royal Mail to the NHS. Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, has threatened to ban ambulance drivers and other emergency workers from striking as part of tough new laws to tackle a wave of action. But Labour pledged to rip up strike laws, making it easier for unions to take industrial action.

How the heating refuseniks plan to survive

An Arctic blast has hit the UK, with temperatures set to plummet to as low as minus 10C overnight by the end of the week. The Met Office warned that motorists could face treacherous conditions on the roads, as it issued a number of weather warnings for snow and ice. Despite the mercury plummeting, there are still some who are holding out against turning up the thermostat to save money. Are they brave or foolish? Four heating refuseniks offer their tips for keeping warm, from wearing double dressing gowns to using pugs as furry hot water bottles.

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> Nine ways to keep warm at home… without turning up your heating

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Also in the news this morning Future of BBC | The BBC could switch off terrestrial television and radio by the end of the decade, the corporation’s director general has said. In a speech about the long-term future of the broadcaster, Tim Davie said the 100-year-old organisation needs to consider a full “switch-off” of broadcast channels to transform it into an internet-only service. Matthew Field explains what such a shift would mean for viewers.

Pioneer dies | World’s only female Spitfire pilot killed in car crash Julian Knight | Tory MP has whip removed after police complaint Health | Vitamin D could reduce the risk of dementia by a third Researchers at Tufts University in America looked at levels of vitamin D in 290 adults in the Rush Memory and Ageing Project, a long-term study of Alzheimer’s that began in 1997.The team looked at vitamin D levels in four regions of the brain. Two were linked to Alzheimer’s – one known to be involved in dementia, and another believed to not be linked to cognitive decline with age. They found that vitamin D was present in all four regions and people with more of it had better cognitive function. “Higher brain [vitamin D] concentrations were associated with a 25 per cent to 33 per cent lower odds of dementia or mild cognitive impairment at the last visit before death,” wrote the scientists in their paper. Rebellion | Freedom of speech at universities dealt blow by Lords NHS waiting lists | Aversion to private care ‘left millions in queue’

Around the world: Putin backpedals on nuclear threat

Vladimir Putin has said the conflict in Ukraine could last a long time, but rowed back on previous threats to use nuclear weapons to win the war. In his most extensive televised remarks about the invasion for weeks, he said Russia’s nuclear deterrent was intended only for retaliation and appeared to rule out using them on the battlefield. As Roland Oliphant reports, he also likened Russia’s “gains” to Peter the Great’s conquests.

A Ukrainian man salvages what he can from his home after Russian shelling. Credit: LIBKOS/AP

Comment and analysis

Allister Heath | Blackouts sure to trigger revolt at eco-tyranny Ben Wright | Hidden risks in financial system bubble to surface Judith Woods | Female icons not exempt from BBC moralising Telegraph View | This is a winter lockdown of our own making Reader letters | Public-sector strikes an insult to self-employed

Editor’s choice

	Feeling left out and bored at work? | How to tell if you are being ‘quietly fired’
	Grim fallout | Cancelled parties threaten Christmas ruin for pubs and restaurants
	Motoring | Munro electric 4×4 looks to take over where Land Rover Defender left off

Business briefing: First deep coal mine for 30 years Michael Gove has approved the UK’s first deep coal mine in more than 30 years after conceding that new green technologies are unlikely to replace the fossil fuel’s role in steelmaking for many years. The Levelling Up Secretary backed plans for a £165m coal mine in Cumbria in a decision that is expected to spark an immediate legal challenge from climate activists. Meanwhile, the freight industry has warned that Britain faces a squeeze on energy supplies next week as strikes disrupt shipments to power stations ahead of a looming cold snap.

Here is a selection of articles we think you’ll be interested in today.

Labour plans to rip up strike rules holding unions back Matt Hancock to stand down as MP Tory MP has whip removed after police complaint Opinion – Cochrane’s Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon finally has a rival for SNP leader – and she should be worried Army fury as soldiers told to give up their Christmas to cover striking workers